I.     Introduction:  Have you ever been the third Sarah in a class?  The teacher can never remember who is who and you have to put your last initial on everything or your papers will be confused.  Having a popular name can be a burden.  Because I have always felt my first name was too popular, I find ways to be unique.

II.  I knew from a young age that I was not the only one with my first name.

A.  Top ten name 77-78, #2 77-79

B.  Parents picked it because it was popular at the time.

C.  Grew up around Melissa’s, answering to other families—my feelings.

III. One way I set myself apart is by connecting my name to my family history.

A.  Initials=same as my Dad’s-- MLB

B.  Middle name after Mom—Lynn for Linda

C.  Feelings=Although I’m not named after anyone, I have always felt a connection to my family and my parents because of the above.

IV.        Rather than use my given name, close friends and family call me by nicknames.

A.  Story of how I got my nickname

B.  Like it now—unique to me, never heard it before

C.  Nicknames demonstrate my relationship with people I am close to

V.  Conclusion—Some people may say that your name is just a label that you wear, but I believe that it is part of your identity.  In order to be an individual, sometimes you need to find ways to stand out.  For me, it was as simple as going by a nickname. 

I.     Introduction:  Write a rough draft of your introduction here.  You need to:  Tell your reader what your paper will be about, and hook your reader with an interesting quote, story, or question.  This paragraph should be at least three sentences.  The last sentence is your thesis---what point are you trying to make?

II.   First Main Idea: topic sentence here tells what the paragraph is about.

A.  Explain your main idea.

B.  Use an example or tell a story to support your idea.

C.  Use an example or tell a story to support your idea.

III.  Second Main Idea: topic sentence here tells what the paragraph is about.

A.  Explain your main idea.

B.  Use an example or tell a story to support your idea.

C.  Use an example or tell a story to support your idea.

IV.Third Main Idea: topic sentence here tells what the paragraph is about.

A.  Explain your main idea.

B.  Use an example or tell a story to support your idea.

C.  Use an example or tell a story to support your idea.

V.  Conclusion—Write a rough draft of your conclusion here.  It should be at least 3 sentences long.  What should we do next with this issue?  You can include a call to action, a though provoking question, or a summary of your paper.